November at QANC

Nov 22

Written By Katie

Hello neighbor!

As we step into November, we’re filled with gratitude and excitement for all the incredible moments at Queen Ann Nzinga Center. Our team has been hard at work creating meaningful opportunities for our Watoto (Swahili for “children”) to learn, grow, and shine. We’re thrilled to share the highlights from this month and to show you the amazing progress our talented youth are making.

CT Rhythm & Blues Festival

We are thrilled to share that the Watoto singers delivered an unforgettable performance at the Connecticut Rhythm & Blues Festival! Sharing the spotlight with renowned artists like John Nemeth, Solomon Hicks, and Lee-Ann Lovelace, our talented youth shined brightly, showcasing the power of the arts to uplift our communities. We extend heartfelt thanks to Scott Sebastian and the Connecticut Blues Society for making this incredible performance possible. Moments like these affirm the impact of your support in empowering our young performers!

Our Watoto

This month, our Watoto have been blossoming with creativity, determination, and joy! Together the kids spent an evening visualizing their dreams for the future–and the practical steps to get there. Using sprawling trees and meadows of flowers as inspiration for steady growth, they drew their Goal Gardens. Our Watoto shared some of their goals with us, including:

“Get better at the cello”
“Be kind”
“Make new friends”
“Get A’s in school”
“Save up money”
“Take more trips”

No matter what they hope to achieve, our Watoto have unlimited potential. Just like the flowers and trees in their Goal Gardens, they will flourish with care, patience, and the support of our community, growing stronger each day as they reach for their dreams.

Kwanzaa Celebration

Mark your calendars, our biggest event of the year is coming up soon! This year’s Kwanzaa Celebration will be held on December 14. You’ll be treated to musical performances by Nzinga’s Daughters, an original Kwanzaa play written by our youth, vendors and more.

Our Watoto will be performing two original dances this year that you won’t want to miss! Here’s a sneak peek.